Muhammad Akram

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PAC President Address to the US-Pakistan Friendship Conference

MUHAMMAD AKRAM

Dr. Muhammad Akram

(InformPress.com) – Respectable Directors of the Pakistani American Congress (PAC), honorable speakers, guests from the Pakistan Embassy, learned members of the media, reputable community leaders and dear friends, Asalam-o-Alaikum and good afternoon.

On behalf of the Pakistani American Congress, I am very grateful to you for taking the time to attend the 19th US-Pakistan Friendship Day Conference today at the Capitol Hill. Your presence reflects your concern or love for Pakistan, our motherland, and the United States of America (USA), our current homeland.

The theme for today’s PAC conference is “US-Pakistan Relations and Future of Democracy in Pakistan”. I am very pleased to report that we have a panel of highly intellectual and well-known speakers. They will surely enlighten us about the current political situation in Pakistan, current turmoil in relationship between Pakistan and the USA due to war of terror in Afghanistan and recent unilateral actions of the US in Pakistan. We will have an ample opportunity to listen, digest, interact and exchange ideas in a very friendly way and come to consensus on some of these issues, and how to move forward.

Please note that this year’s format is quite different than the previous PAC conferences. For example: This year we have not invited any so-called intellectuals who only lectured us that everything is bad in Pakistan, the same dooms day scenario every year. We are done with that.

More importantly, we will have a dialogue among ourselves, speakers, media, bureaucrats and community. The purpose will be to develop some consensus; as speakers will identify shortcomings or suggest solutions and then we will have a civil debate to see what and how we can be effective in resolving some of the problems faced by Pakistan. We are not interested in Pakistan-bashing but finding solutions for Pakistani problems and helping in maintaining good relationship between the United States and Pakistan.

As you know the Pakistani American Congress (PAC) is a nationwide umbrella entity of Pakistani-Americans and Pakistani-American organizations based in North America since 1990. PAC was incorporated as a non-profit, non-religious and non-partisan premier community organization. It serves as a catalyst of social, educational and political activities. PAC promotes interests of Pakistani-Americans and works to protect human rights and civil liberties in the USA. It is involved in promoting goodwill, understanding and friendship between the USA and Pakistan. We do not represent any single political entity or religious affiliation. Our main interest is in promoting a good relationship between the two countries and its peoples.

As a part of its mission, the PAC is providing this forum for an intellectual discourse. The opinions expressed in this forum are not of PAC but solely of speakers. It is their right to express their views and our obligation to be respectful with our guests. You may not like it but you must oblige.

The PAC views have already been expressed in a PAC press release issued this morning. To sum up PAC’s viewpoints, let me reiterate:

1. Both countries, the USA and Pakistan, should respect each other’s sovereignty and direct military actions by the US forces inside Pakistan must be avoided.

2. The US-Pakistan friendship should not be turned into a conflict as it could further hurt the US image and credibility in that part of the world.

3. PAC strongly appeals to all Pakistani-Americans to work closely with the US Administration and elected representatives to persuade them that mutual trust and healthy relationship between both nations is more important to achieve better results on long term basis than rushed actions for quick euphoria.

4. PAC urges the Obama Administration and the US Congress that just like the US-India nuclear deal, a similar pact must be worked out with Pakistan.

5. PAC appreciates the US support to Pakistan. PAC strongly urges the USA to invest in education, health-care, creation of jobs and building of democratic institutions in Pakistan. Building trust not animosity is the best solution to any misunderstanding. By increasing trade, making significant reduction in import duties, providing scholarships to students and helping in building infrastructure will certainly help to restore trust and increase public cooperation.

PAC will continue to strive for promoting US-Pakistan friendship, goodwill and understanding. Both countries cannot afford any divergence. Mutual trust and a close strategic partnership between the two nations are needed now more than ever before. Thank you.

Note: Dr. Muhammad Akram, ex-President, Pakistani American Congress (PAC), delivered this speech on 21 June 2011 during the PAC 19th US-Pakistan Friendship Conference held at the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 318, in Washington DC, USA.